Policy Briefs

High-quality early care and education (ECE) programs create safe, stable environments that protect children from harm and sets them on a path toward healthier, more successful lives, demonstrating many benefits for children involved with the child welfare system. Because nearly 40% of children reported as victims of maltreatment are under age 5 and experiencing trauma during these early years can be especially damaging, high-quality ECE programs are a powerful strategy to improve child safety and well-being. This policy brief shares the latest evidence and policy recommendations to increase ECE enrollment among children in the welfare system.

Family homelessness is a pressing issue in the United States, affecting thousands of parents and children each year. On a single night in January 2022, more than 131,000 people in families with children experienced homelessness, underscoring the depth and urgency of this crisis. This brief, developed based on insights from the panel discussion, Families in Crisis: Research and Policy Solutions for Ending Family Homelessness, outlines actionable policy recommendations.

Early childhood education centers face significant financial constraints that limit their ability to raise wages for their educators. Addressing this issue requires investment from both the government and private sectors, policy reforms, and innovative funding solutions to ensure that educators are fairly compensated without making early childhood education unaffordable for families.

In a new three-part series, the Clark-Fox Policy Institute reviews the latest empirical data layered with community voice and details evidence-informed policy recommendations to help businesses create family-friendly workplaces. Part Three, The Next Generation: Preparing for the Future of the Workforce, demonstrates how businesses can invest in their future workforce and eliminate costly employee turnover and burnout by providing accommodations for pregnant employees, lactation support, early childhood education assistance, and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) education.

In a new three-part series, the Clark-Fox Policy Institute reviews the latest empirical data layered with community voice and details evidence-informed policy recommendations to help businesses create family-friendly workplaces. Part Two, Good Businesses Attract Good Employees: Promoting Employee and Family Wellbeing, outlines actions that businesses can take to support their employees and their families, including pay equity, living wages, health insurance, and flexible working arrangements.

In a new three-part series, the Clark-Fox Policy Institute reviews the latest empirical data layered with community voice and details evidence-informed policy recommendations to help businesses create family-friendly workplaces. Part One, Paid Leave: Good for Families, Businesses, and the Economy, describes the realities that more than two-thirds of American workers face bringing home a new baby or caring for a sick family member without access to paid leave.

The Housing First approach recognizes that people experiencing homelessness first need the safety and stability of a home in order to address other challenges. The model calls for rapid placement in homes, without mandating any prerequisites. Housing First Puts Children First explores the merits of Housing First as an intervention to reduce homelessness, particularly for families with children.

Weapons and violence in schools are a significant public health challenge that affects the physical and mental health of young people across the United States, as well as their families and communities. To address the issue, a panel of scholars, experts, and activists convened for a congressional briefing on June 12, 2019. A new policy brief by the Clark-Fox Policy Institute chronicles the recommendations from the briefing.

The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has become one of the United States’ most effective programs for combatting poverty experienced by low-income working families. This brief highlights how the EITC helps counteract institutionalized inequalities by lifting people out of poverty, improving educational and health outcomes, and driving economic growth in local communities.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays a critical role in lifting children and families out of poverty, ameliorating the harmful effects of food insecurity. Among children in the United States already living in low-income households, budget cuts to SNAP place nearly half at risk of malnutrition and food insecurity. This brief highlights how food insecurity undermines learning outcomes and academic success.